liORjMjARi  _ c cljkjjal    •■'••■ES 

L  TABLET  ADDRESS 


Delivered  by 
JUDG2  WALTER  CLARK 
of 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina 


Fayetteville,  North  Carolina 
January  2,  1924 


THIS  TABLET 

Placed  by  the  North  C  rolina  Society  of  Colonial  D:-.nes 
on  the  IVr  ct  side  of  the  old  market  house  in  Payetteville,  was  unveiled 
2  January,  1924.   It  bears  the  following  inscription; 

"Th  North  Carolina  Society  of  Colonial  Denes  hes  placed 
this  tablet  to  conn  :  .  te  the  following  events; 

1.  First  'yr.-gan.iaed  Scotch  cottier. cut  on  Cape  Peer  at  the 

couth  cf  Cross  Creek  1739, 
t.   Cumberland  County  established  1754. 
5.   The  incorporation  of  the  town  of  Canpbellton  1762. 

4.  The  settlement  of  Grose  Creek  village  1765. 

5.  Liberty  Point  Declaration  of  Independence,  June  20,  1775. 

6.  Cross  Creek  and  Campbell ton  united  end  incorporated  as 
Payettevillo  1783. 

7.  On  this  cite  stood  the  State  House. 

6.   Here  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  ador>t©d 
November  21.  17 99. 

9.  Here  Charter  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina  was 
granted  1789. 

10.  Here  Lafayette  was  wolconcd  March  4,  "1825. 

The  present  structure  built  ebout  1Q3C  replaced  the  original 

one  destroyed  by  the  fire  cf  1831. 

The  Women's  Civic  Association  organized  1907  has  preserved 
this  building." 


ALL  BESS 

by 

Walter  Clark 

At  the  unveiling  of  the  tablet  placed  by  the  north  Carolina  Society 
of  Colonial  Danes  on  the  old  market  house  in  Payetteville,  2  January, 
1924. 

LADIES  OP  THE  COLONIAL  DAMES  AID  CITIZENS  OP  PAYETTE  VI LLE :  It  is 
always  most  pleasant  to  anyone,  especially  to  a  North  Carolinian,  to 
visix  Payetteville.   Besides  the  proverbial  hospitality  and  courtesy 
of  your  people,  there  are  the  historical  associations  of  your  past 
which  the  le.dics  on  this  occasion  are  placing  in  lasting  bronze  on 
the  front  of  this  historic  building  and  your  assurence  of  a  still 
greater  future  for  which  you  are  rerching  out  and  which  you  so  well 
deserve  to  attain. 

It  has  been  well  said  that  :  people  who  piece  no  memorials  in 
honor  of  the  greet  deeds  of  their  ancestors  will  do  nothing  that  will 
deserve  commemoration  by  their  descendents.   TV-is  reproach  cannot  be 
made  against  the  people  of  this  city  mC.   county  and  least  of  all 
against  the  Ladies  who  compose  the  Colonial  Dames  ox  this  city.   The 
tablet  which  you  are  unveiling  today  places  a  iesting  memorial  at 
least  ten  of  the  most  notable  events  in  the  history  of  your  city  and 
county. 

I.  It  commemorates  m  the  first  place  the  first  organized 
Scotch  settlement  on  the  Cope  "err  River  at  the  mouth  of  Cross  Creek 
in  1739.   This  was  the  beginning  of  that  splendid  Scotch  immigration 
which  hes  been  perpetuated  end  extended  through  this  entire  section 
end  whose  descendants  have  done  so  much  for  the  honor  and  development 
of  North  Carolina . 

II.  It  also  coma  error  ate  8  the  organization  of  Cumberland  County 
which  w-'S  formed  in  1754  from  the  upper  pert  of  Bladen.   Str~npely 
enough,  it  was  named  for  Willi  an  Augustus.  Luke  of  Cumberland,  second 
son  of  George  11.   He  had  commanded  the  English  forces  rt  the  battle 

-  of  Colloden  in  1745  where  the  Highlanders  received  their  final  defeat 
^   end  the  &ouse  of  Stuart  was  completely  crushed.  &c    followed  Up  his 
o  victory  with  such  cruelty  and  so  ::my   executions  that  he  was  long 
"^  called  the  "Bloody  Luke."   Gabriel  Johnston,  who  was  of  Scotch  birth, 
^was  from  1733  to  1751  Governor  if  the  province  of  North  Carolina 

and  he  aided  largely  to  st  .rt  the  immigration  of  the  Scotch  to  this 

state . 


tfe    2 


"U 


In  1739  a  ehipload   of  Scotch  under  Neil  McNeil   of  Zintyre 
settled  near   this   place,    then    k  i       i    ?.s  Gross  Creek.      The   Oener   1 
Assembly,    doubtles  .    on  the   suggestion  of  Governor  Gabriel  Johnston, 
was   anxious   to   get  .Scotch  settlers   and  had    passed   an  act  caking   then: 
free   of   taxation  for    ten  years   after   arrival    rnd   voted   then  a 
thousand  pounds  as  :.   or   aid.      After  Cuiloden  the   immigration  of 

Highland   Scotch  to  this   section  greatly  increased  and   in  1754  it  ie 
estimated   there  were   1  COO   Scotch   capable    of  bearing  arcs   settled  in 
this    section.,      At   the        a     al  Assembly  held  in  Wilmington  in  1754 
the    no  rife]  s  made    into  the   County   of  Cumberland. 

In  1757  Rev.    James  >ell   of  Argyllshire,    a  Presbyterian,    of   course, 

came   to  Cumberland   said   took   charge   of  the   church  near  what   is  now 
Fayetteville .      In  175"    there   had   been  granted   on  quit-leases,    80,000 
acres   in  Cumberland. 

III.  In  1762    the  General  Assembly,   upon  application,    granted   the 
petition   for   public  buildings   for   the   county  to  be    erected   c t  Cross 
Creek  and    the    town  of  Campbell  ton  was   chartered,    the   second   court- 
house was  built   and  at   a  point  a  mile  east   cf  the   present  Payetteville. 
The   Scotch  immigrants   continued   to   arrive    in   increasing  numbers. 

IV.  The   village   of  Cross   Creek  was   first   settled   in  1765  where 
ten  years   later  was  made   Liberty  Point   of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence    on  20    Jane,    1775,    in  honor  of  which  you  had  a  memorable 
celebration  in  this   city.      In  1769   the   Regulators   among   their 
grievances   stated   they  wanted  warehouses    for   Anson  rnd   ^ronge   counties, 
which  were,    of   course,    then  very  much  larger    than   at  present,    erected 
at  Campbellton  which  was   then  considered   the    head   of  navigation   on 

the  Caps  Pear,      In  1766   a  tobacco  warehouse    and    wharf  had  been  built 
there  under   orders    of  the    General  Assembly  and  notes  were   issued, 
under   authority   of  the  Province,    of   the    tobacco    inspected,    packed   and 
stored   there.      In   this   they  were   nearly  160  years  ahead   of    the   present 
co-operative    tobacco   associations  and   received   greater   recognition  in 
that    the   State   issued  notes  upon   the   shipment    Df    the    tobacco. 

In  1770  many  Highland   clans  were    reported   represented   in   this 
section     the   McNeils  being  prominent.      The   Scotch  "-ore   their  national 
costume   and  mingled   together  like    one   family.      The   bag-pipes  were 
played   at  all   gatherings."      In   1771  upon  the   petition  of    the 
free-hold   inhabitants    of   and   near  Campbellton   the    privilege    of    a 
bSKtough   town  was    given   them  to   send   a  member   to    the    general  Assembly 
and  Robert  Rowan  was    the  first  member    chosen.      A   public  highway  was 
ordered   built  from  Cross  Creek   to    the   D  n  River    through  Cumberland, 
Chatham,    and  Guilford.      In  1772   an  act  was  passed   exempting  immigrants 
from   taxation  for  four  years   and   several  shiploads    of  Scotch  folks 
coming   from  the  Highlands   of  Arran,    Dura,    Isla,    Skye ,    rnd  Argyllshire 
were   landed  and  most   of    them   settled   in  Cumberland.      The  number   of 
these    immigrants   in  that  year  was   given  as   1600.      Another  great  wove 
of  Scotch   immigration  followed   in  1774  when  the  McDonalds  fairly 
poured   in   from  Skye    one1    adjacent   islands,    Allan  McDonrld   the   husband 
of   the   celebrated  Plora  McDonald   being  their    leader. 

V.    On  June    20.    1775,    the   patriots   formed   an  association  and 
adopted   the   Liberty  Point  Declaration  of   Independence,    which  was   signet" 
by  Robert  Rowan  and   30   others.      This  was  as  defiant  as    the  Mecklenburg 
Declaration  and  only  a   few   days   later.      It   read  as  follows: 


"The   Association.    Jane   20, 

ths 

oj 
I  :P.  near  Ser.tcn  xae  increase  of  arbitrary  impositions  from  th 


"The  actua'J  cor.  enoenent  of  hostility     ainst 
continent,  by  :he  British  troops,  in  the  bloody  scene  of  ..  1  l! 
ly,i2t.  near  Ser.tcn  the  increase  of  arbitrary  impositions  fro  .  . 

I  and  despotic  Ministry,  end  the  dread  of  instigated 
insurrections  in  the  colonies,  ore  cruses  sufficient  to  drive  ■■ 
.  pe     "   -  j   use  of  arms.   We,  iherefcr^.  the 


-e    3 


subscribers,  of  Cumberland  County,  holding  ourselves  vouncl  by 
the  most  sacred  of  rll  obligations,  bhe  duty  of  good  citizens 
towards  an  injured   country,   r.       t  convinced,  that,   under 

our  distressed  circumstances,   we    shall  be    justified    in  resisting 
force   by   force,    do  unite   ourselves  under     ev  ry    vie   oi   religion 
and  honor.   and  assooirte   as   a  band   in  her  defence   against  every 
foe.    aereby    =  ol<        '  '  Sing,    Chat    .hcnaver    our  Continental 

or  Provincii  •    sree   it  necessary,    we  will  go 

forth  and   be    r  •..■..•/    to   sacrifice   cur   lives   and    fortunes    to   secure 
her  freedom  i   by.      This    obligation   to    continue    in  full 

force  until   a  reconciliation  shal]    take    place   between  Great 
Britain  and  America,    upon  constituti  onal  principles,    an  even 
we   cost  ardently  desire;    and  we  will   hold  all   those   persons 
inimical    to    the-   liberty  of   the  colonies,   who    shall  refuse    to 
subscribe    to   this  Association;    and  wo  will   in  all    things   follow 
the    advice    of    our  General  Committee   respecting  the   purposes 
aforesaid,    the   pre serve t ion   of  perce    and   good    order   and   the 
safety   of  infividual  rnd  private   property.      Signed, 


Robert  Rowan 
Lewis  Barge 
Mau  rice  N  o  w  1  an 
Lewis  Powell 
Martin  Lennard 
George   Fi etcher 
Walter  Murray 
David  Evans 
John  Elwell 
Benjamin  Elwell 
Joseph  Green 
Robert  Green 
Robert  Carver 


■Fheoplilus  Evans 

Thomas  Moody 
Jos.   De  Lespine 
Arthur  Council 
John  Oliver 
Charles   Stevens 
William  Ecrrin 
Robert  Verne r 
David  Dunn 
Simon  3:  nday 
John   Jones 
Robert  Council 
Samuel  C   rver 


David   Shepard 
liicajah  Fnrrell 
John  Wilson 
James   Emmet 
Aaron  Vardey 
John  Parker 
Philip  Herrin 
James   Gee 
William  White 
Joshua  Hadley 
Wi Iliac  Blocker 
Sam'  1 .    Hollingsw orth 
•■  Llliam  Carver" 


The   liberty  Point  Declaration  which  was    adopted   here  was 
quickly  followed  by    similar  declarations   in  .^ew  Hanover,    Duplin, 
^uison.    Bladen,    0;>clow,    and   several   other  counties. 


It   did   not  meet  with    tl 
immigrants  who  knew 


:he   concurrence   of  these   newly  arrived 
nothing   .of   the    grievances    of   the    older 
and  who  remembered    the   disaster ous    results 
in  Scotland   in  1745 
from  the   palace    in  Hew  Born.,    issued   the  famous    proclamation   ordering 


settlers 
their    own  uprising 
la r tin,   who  had   fled 


raise   the    roSfaJ    standard  arts  Cross  Creek,    and 
appointed  Brigadier  General,      The    clrns   ca:.:e   down 


In  1776   Governor    Josiah 
palace    in  Hew  Born,    issued   the  famous 
the    loyal  Scotch   to 
Allan  IIcDinald  was 

uickly  with    their   pipes  playing.      The   McDonalds,    McLcods,    Mcjfenzies, 
McRaes,   McLeans,   McHcys,    MeLaa  hlins,    and  many   others.      On   27  February 
1776    this   array   oi  Hi   hlanders  went    to  defeat  at    the    battle    of   [.I   ore's 
Creek  3ridge   not  far  from  here,    in  which  the   citizens   cf  this   section 
were    opposed   to    each   other.      Besides    the  killed,    large   numbers  were 
talc  en    or  is  oners. 


In   1781   after   the    battle    of  Guilford  Court  House   on  15  March, 
Comwallis,    with  his   little   British   army   of   1520   infantry  and   200 
cavaifcy,    marched   through  Cross  Creek  hoping  to   rrise   re-enforcements 


among  the   Scotch   settlers. 


with   small    suo 


1  ilmington  ant":    there   received   some    re-enforce. eents 
oat    on  his  fatal   ~sreh   through   eastern  C    rolina 
en  route    to  the  final  surrender   at  Yorktovm. 


:I  £.•     "'  0  0  Ch  G  d 

Thence   he   set 
a   camping   at  halifax 


C ornwr lifts '  £  muster   roll   on  January 


1791,    at  Hillsboro 


-h.'ou-c    a   total   of   3,224   officer 

treat   from      uilford  Court  House, 
he   had   1725   only,    so  that  he    lost  nearly  half   of   his   force   in  75   c    ys 


men  bui  Dross  Creek  on  his 

.  t    :.--ile    after    the   battle, 


Page    4 


by  casualties  and   desertions    (which  are   said   to  have  been  numerous) 
and   only  2/3  of    these  were    said   to   have  been  fit   to  fight.      Lieut-Col. 
Webster,    a  gallant  officer   of  the   33rd  Rcginient,   was  among   the 
wounded  at  Guilford  which  aocompained   the  army.      He   died  when  he 
reached  a  few  miles  below  hlizabethtown  and  was  burried   at   the.  foot  of 
a  pine   tree   on   the    roadside    at   a  spot  which   is   still  pointed   out. 
Long  years   afterwards  when  the   grave  was   opened,    it  is    said   that  he 
lay  in  his  uniform  and   ingisnia  as  a  British  officer  almost 
apparently  alive  but  Irieven   the  body  was   touched   the  whole   instantly 
dissolved   into   dust. 

VI.    In  1783  the  village    of  Cross  Greek  and   the  village    of 
Campbell  ton     were  united  and   incorporated   as   Fayetteville   in  honor 
of  Marquis   de  LaFayette  who   had   rendered   such  efficient  service    in 
aiding  the   achievement   of    our  independence   and  under    that   historic 
name  the    city  has  borne   an  honorable   and   conspicuous  part  iii  all    the 
subsequent  events    of   our   state   history. 

In   1784  Ci    iberland  Co  ;nty  was   abolished  and  was  divided   into 
two  new  counties,   Lloore   and  Fayette,    but    in  a  few  months  the  name   of 
Payette  was  changed  bach   to  Cumberland. 

The    first    capital   of    the   province   of  No^th  C - rolina  was   at  B-.th 
in  what   is  now  Beaufort  County.      Then    for  a  while   it  was  at  Wil  -iu.rtonj 
thence   it  was  moved   to  Nov,   3om  under  Governor  Try  on  who  built   there 
a  palace.      During  our  Revolution  the   General  Assemblies  were    styled 
"Congresses"    for     a  while.      T  .:    Congress  which  met  at  h.  lifax  in 
12  April   1776   instructed   our    delegation  in   the  General  Con.ress   at 
Philadelphia   to  declare   for  American  Independence,    bein<   the  first 
state    to  do   so,    which  historical   event   is   commemorated   on   our    state 
flag  end   seal.      Di.xin     the  Revolution   our  Legislative   Assemblies 
were  held  at  Smithfield,    at  Hillsboro,    at  F;  „  etteville ,    and   other 
places. 

Vll.I'urin:   the  Revolution  and   for   some  time    afterwards  we   had  no 
capital  and   our   General  Assemblies  were   peripatetic,    meeting   at 
Wilmington,    Halifax   ,    Smithfield,   Fayetteville ,    Hillsboro,    and 
probably   other  places  until   the   capital  was   permanently  located   at 
its   present   site   by    the    Act    of  1790.      The   building  which  stood   on 
this    spot  was   occupied   by   the  General  Assembly  when   it  met  here   and 
which   adjourned   in  1789   for   the  Convention  which   in   the    sane   building 
adopted    the   Constitution  of  the   United   States. 

At  Hillsboro   in  1788,    the   State   Convention  declared  by  a   v:te    of 
100  majority  against   the    ratification   of    the  Constitution  of   the 
United   States.      It   is    said   that    this  was   cone   under  the    influence 
of  Thomas   Jefferson,    author    of    the  Declaration  and   afterwards   twice 
President   of   the  United   States   on  the    ground  that   there  was   no   bill 
of   rights   recognising   the   rights   of   persons    in   that   instrument. 
Honorable  Willie   Jones   of  Halifax  and  others,    acting   in  co-operation 
with  Mr.    Jefferson,    opposed  and  r  r  tifi  cation  of    the    Constitution 
after   the   Union  had    been  made    sure   by   the   adoption   of   nine    states, 
until   the  first   ten  Amendments  \  sre   agreed   to   be   incorporated   and 
upon  that  understanding   the  Convention  was   called    to  meet   at 
Fayetteville    in  November   1^89. 


' 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/northcarolinacolOOclar 


Page  5 


VIII.  And  hero  was  ratified  on  21  November,  1789,  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  we  being  the  twelfth  state  to  do 
this.   The  General  Assenbley  was  in  session  here  when  the 
Convention  assembled  and  adjourned   over  for  the  purpose  of  holding 
the  Convention.   Governor  Richard  Caswell  died  here  during  that 
session  of  the  General  Assembly.   The  Constitution  of  the  United 
Stctes  was  adopted  at  this  place  on  21  November,  1789. 

IX.  When  the  first  republican  Constitution  of  the  State  was 
adopted  at  Halifax  on  18  December,  1776  amid  the  thunders  of  war, 
the"  founders  of  our  government  thinking  of  the  future  and  of  the 
necessity  of  education  to  make  our  people  free  and  progressive,  that 
they  should  "know  their  ri^atE  and  knowing  dare  maintain  them" 
inserted  in  that  Constitution  this  wise  provision,  "all  useful  learning 
shall  be  duly  encouraged  and  promoted  in  one  or  more  Universities 

but  it  was  not  until  the  General  Assembly  met  here  in  1784  that  they 
had  leisure  to  formulate  and  grant  the  charter  of  that  University. 

It  is  said  that  the  geographical  centre  of  the  State  is  where 

the  Gape  Fear  and  the  Deep  Rivers  cone  together  at  the  point  which 
was  formerly  known  as  the  town  of  Haywood, 

In  former  times  when  railroads  were  unknown  and  public  roads 
were  few  and  verv  inferior,  the  Cape  Peer  running  up  through  the 
heart  of  the  State,  furnished  at  Fayetteville  the  point  of  departure 
from  which  wagons  plying  into  the  interior  of  North  Carolina 
furnished  for  that  great  western  half  of  the  State  the  most  ready 
and  accessible  means  of  shipping  our  products  and  receiving  imported 
goods  from  the  north  and  from  Europe.   Fayetteville  was  literally 
the  metropolis  of  the  State. 

When  in  1792  the  General  Assembly  at  New  Bern  decided  upon  a 
permanent  capital  for  North  C  rolina,  naturally  Fayetteville  would 
nave  been  chosen  but  the  influences  in  favor  of  the  present 
location  at  Raleirh  were  very  strong.   The  contest  was  for  a  long 
time  undetermined,  but  was  finally  settled  in  favor  of  the  site 
which  has  since  become  Raleigh  by  friends  of  the  eelection  of  tnat 
locality  promising  the  J  S,  Sena tor ship  to  a  resident  of  the  C>pe 
Fear  section — not "from  a  -etteville,  however — whose  support  ave 
the  requisite  majority  which  locate",  the  new  capital  within  ten 
miles  of  the  home  of  Isaac  H-.  ter.  EC   Fayetteville  been  chosen 
our  R.  R.  system  would  have  been  located  essentially  differently. 
Tiiere  would  have  been  water  competition  nere  and  the  history  of  our 
State  would  have  been  varied  in" all  its  subsequent  scenes. 

X.  It  was  here  that  on   4  March,  1825,  the  marquis  de  Lafayette 
received  a  royal  celeome  in  this  town  which  bore  his  name,   The 
incidents  of  that  reception  and  of  the  Liberty  Point  Declaration  of 
Independence  yn   20  J  ue,  1775,  hare  heretofore  been  recided  in 
addresses  made  on  this  spot. 

In  March,  1865,  the  Federal  Army  on  its  march  northwards  from 
the  destruction  of  Columbia,   at  Fayetteville  burned  the  press  end 
office  of  i..  J.  Hale  and  Sons,  the  editors  and  publishers  of  the 
Fayetteville  Observer  and  committed  other  depredations  which  have 
not  yet  passed  from  the  memory  of  your  people.   "!e  have  forgiven 
but  we  have  not  forgotten. 

The  building  which  stood  on  this  spot  and  had  been  used  as  the 
State  Rouse  by  several  legislatures,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  18 SIB 
and  the  xresent  structure  was  built  to  reolace  it  in  18' 


■;  -,J 


Page  6 


The  VVomen'u  CJivic  Association,  organized  in  1907,  has  preserved 
this  building  from  destruction.   The  greatest  credit. is  due  to  their 
efforts  which  should  command  great  success  and  the  entire  support 
of  your  penpie. 

To  narrate  the  historical  events  in  Cumberland  and  Fayetteville 
would  take  far  more  than  the  time  allotted  to  me  on  this  occassion 
and  the  list  of  the  great  men  whom  you  have  furnished  to  the  State 
would  be  a  roll  of  honor  to  any  people. 

With  the  name  of  Cumberland  County  is  connected  the  romantic 
history  of  Flora  McDonald  whose  name  and  memory  has  been  preserved 
wherever  the  English  language  is  spoken.   After  the  fatal  battle  of 
Culloden  in  which  the  cause'of  the  Stuarts  and  the  unfortunste  Prince 
Charles  Ddward  passed  forever,  Flora  McDonald  was  arrested  for 
aiding  in  his  escape  and  carried  to  London.   She  had  not  been  an 
advocate  of  the  Pretender's  claim  to  the  crown  nor  was  she  even  of 
the  same  religious  faith-   She  was  moved  by  the  impulsive  humanity 
of  a  woman  for  one  in  distress.  When  asked  by  King  George  how  she- 
had  dared  to  aid  the  enemy  of  his  crown  and  kingdom  she  replied  with 
noble  dignity.  "I  only  did  what  I  would  ao  for  your  majesty  in  the 
same  condition' end  relieve  distress,"   She  afterwards  married  Allan 
McDonald  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1775  just  on  the  eve  of  our 
devolution.   The  ruins  of  the  house  in  which  she  ana  her  husband 
settled  in  Fgyettevflle  was  to  be  seen  for  many  years.  Pier  husband 
wrs  made  a  general  in  the  British  Amy  and  was  taken  prisoner  in  the 
battle  of  Moores'  Creek  on  27  February,  1775.   Cn  his  release  the 
family  returned  to  Scotland  but  her  name  and  fame  will  be  forever 
connected  with  Fayetteville  and  Cumberland  bounty,   in  her  old  age 
she  plaintively  said  she  had  served  both  the  Stuarts  and  their 
opponents  and  had  received  nothing  but  sorrow  and  misfortune  in  the 
service  of  both.   She  died  in  Scotland. 

Among  the  long  list  of  names  furnished  by  this  country  to  the 
State  we  can  only  mention  a  few.   John  Lewis  Taylor,  the  first 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  .North  Carolina,  represented 
Fayetteville  in  the  House  of  Commons  in  1792,  93  and  94.   In  1798  he 
became  a   judge  of  the  Superior  Court  and  in  1819  one  of  the  judges 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  becoming  later  Chief  Justice. 

Among  the  sans  of  this  city  and  county  who  have  held  high 
positions  in  the  State  are  Warren  Winslow  who  was  for  a.  short  while 
Governor  of  the  State  succeeding  upon  the  election  of  javid  S.  Head 
to  the  U.  S„  Senate  in  1854;  besides  Chief  Justice  Taylor,  John  D. 
Toofler,  and  James  Ce  McHae  were  Supreme  Court  judges  while  as 
Superior  Court  judges  the  County  has  furnished  besides  Toomer  and  :■•: 
Mcitae,  Robert  Strange,  Jesse  G.  Shepherd,  Halph  ?.  Buxton,  and  the 
present  honored  incumbent,  IT.  A.  Sinclair. 

The  County  has  furnished  as  members  of  Congress,  William  Barry 
Grove,  Samuel  D.  Purviance,  Archibald  McNeil,  Lemuel  Bethune,  Robert 
Strange,  Jas.  C.  Dobbin,  Warren  Winslow,  Wharton  J.  Green,  rnd  John 
G„  Shaw. 


Eon.  Henry  Potter  was  appointed  District  Judge  to  succeed  Judge 
Sitgrea.ves  in  i801  and  occupied  that  position  for  more  than  fifty 
years. 

Louis  D,  Henry,  long  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the 
State,  and  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  which  he  was  chosen 
Speaker,  represented  this  county  end  was  a  candidate  for  Governor  in 
1842.   Hon.  Jas.  C.  Dobbin  was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Commons,  of 
which  he  was  Speaker,  and  became  Secretary  of  the  Navy  on  the 
election  of  Franklin  Pierce  as  ©resident  and  served  with  distinction. 
It  was  under  his  auspices  th~t  there  was  carried  to  a  successful 
conclusion  perry's  expedition  to  Japan  which  opened  up  that  country 
to  civilization.   The  expedition  had  been  planned  by  his  predecessor, 
Hon.  William  a.  Graham,  also  of  this  State,  and  was  carried  to 
success  under  the  r  dm  ini strati  on  of  Mr.  Dobbin. 


Page    7 


Hon.   3.    J.   Kale,    besides  being   r.  distinguished  soldier   in   the 
Confederate   Arny,    later  w:.s   our  efficient  consul   to  Manchester, 
England,    end    died  while  II.    S.   Minister   to  Costa  ftica.      Hon  Geo.    .  . 
.lose  h~s  been   Speaker   of  the   State  House   of  .<e  Tcsentatives. 

I    would  be   gird   to  call   over    the   nr  '.es   of   the  many   distinguished 
soldiers   of    this  city   end  county  for   they  have  been   oinorjg   the 
foremost   in   every  war   that   this    country  has  known  but   their   frnie  is 
known   to  you  and   is   secure.      I  will    only  venture    to  nane  Col.    Chrlcs 
W.   3ro-dfoot  f9¥  with  whom  I   had   the   honor   to  serve   in   the    sane 
regiment   in   trie   Civil  <     .      nd   who   in   addition    to   his   distinguished 
service    in  the  war,    after  its   close  was   a  leader  among  the  Confederate 
soldiers  who    took  practical    charge    of   the    State    te    restore    law  rnd 
order,    decency  md   nonesty   in  the    overthrow    of  the    carpet  bagging 
n    "irae,   which   governed  us   during  the      reconstruction  era,    rrnd  -s=££ed 
aided   so   greatly  in  placing  our   county   rnd  city   and   together  with 
his  comrades   in  otner  Suctions,    placed   tho  State   on  its  former 
reputation   for   good    government  by  Worth  C   rolinians   rnd  for  IPrth 
C Carolina.      And  I  may  be   pardoned  also   for  mentioning  my  comrrde   in 
the    srme    origade,    Col.    John  H.    Andersen,    also   distinguished    as    a 
soldier   rnd  who   also  did   so   much  after   the  war   in   the   cruse   of 
restoration  of   our   Strte   government   to   the   hands   of   our   own  people. 
There   are  very  many  more  whom  I    should  like    to  name   but   as   I  have 
s~id,    their  names   .^.re   household  navies  with  you. 


But   time   will  fell   rmy  mm  to   recall  the   many  notable   events 
which  have   clustered  around     the   nar.e   of  Cumberlrnd   and   of 
F   yetteville   rnd   the   distinguished   Sons    she   has    furnished  who  have 
shed  lustre    on   the    State   and  IJ    tion.      It   is   my   province   to  make  but 
brief   reference    to    the  principal  events  whi 3h  you  have   placed   in  1 
lasting  bronze   on  this   tablet. 


*c 


Under  the  Constitution  of  1835  all  the  borough  towns  in  the 
St?te,  including  F- yetteville,  were  abolished. 

Moore  County  was  formed  by  the  division  of  Cumberlrnd  into  two 
counties  and  Harnett  was  created  partly  from  Wr-ke  rnd  ■:  rtly  from 
Cumberland  and  more  recently  Hoke  Count;/,  named  in  honor  of  one  of 
our  most  distinguished  Southern  generals,  was  taken  rlmost  entirely 
from  Cumberland. 

During  the  war  of  1861-5,  no  county  of  city  was  more  distinguished 
in  the  support  of  the  Confederacy  rnd  by  its  soldiers. 

Located  near  the  centre  of  the  Str.te  and  in  the  midst  of  an 
intelligent  one"   patriotic  population  which  knows  no  superior,  your 
people  have  always  been  the  centre  of  every  patriotic  rnd  progressive 
movement.   You  have  a  great  past  of  which  to  be  proud  and  the  future 
becons  you  on  to  rn  assured  fame  and  to  a  continurtion  of  the 
historical  reputation  which  you  hrve  won  in  the  post. 

You  cannot  too  highly  value  the  services  of  the  Chapter  of  the 
Colonial  Domes  who  have  rescued  this  historical  building  from 
destruction  rnd  who  today  are  placing  in  r  permanent  memorial  of  the 
great  deeds  of  your  ancestors.   In  any  community  the  women  are  the 
mainstay  of  lav?  rnd  order.   They  stand  alwaqj  for  the  right  and  they 
r'o  not  forget   those  things  which,  on  this  oceassion,  should  be  kept 
in  lasting  memory.   They  not  only  keep  the  homes'  fires  burning  but, 
;ike  the  Vestal  Virgins  of  ancient  nore ,  they  keep  brightly  burn!., 
vhe  fires  of  patriotism  on  the  altar  of  their  jountry  by  such 
commemorations  as  this.   Men  may  falter  in  time  of  trial  when  it 
difficult  to  choose  the  perilous  right,  but  our  women  do  not. 
As  Jaston  said  in  our  great  State  hymn,  "They  are  true  lightwood  at 
heart." 


Page  8 


On  that  greatest  day  that  this  world  has  seen  when  the  earth 
was  moved  and  the  sun  hid  -its  face  so  that  there  was  darkness  from 
the  sixth  to  the  ninth  hour  and  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent,  when 
Judas  Iscariot  betrayed  and  Peter  denied  Him,  it  is  written  that  all 
men  deserted  Him,  but  xho  band  of  women  who  followed  Him  were 
undismayed  and  unteirified;  their  loyalty  they  kept,  their  faith, 
their  zeal.   Ho  woman  with  a  traitorous  kiss  her  Ulster  stung.   None 
denied  Him  with  unholy  tongue.   Whan  "A:cstles  fled,  they  could 
dangers  bra¥e,  Last  at  che  Gross  and  first  at  the  Grave." 

I  have  necessarily  made  to  you  a  dry,  historical  narrrtive  but 
it  should  not  be  entirely  watbout  interest  to  you  for  it  is  the  story 
of  your  ancestors  and  of  your  own  people.   It  is  what  they  have  done 
and  it  is  the  Colonial  Dames  of  your  town  and  county  that  today  we 
owe  it  that  the  memory  of  those  great  deeds  are  to  be  preserved  in 
lasting  bronze. 


